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PROPERTY LINEBeyond the
This issue of the Scroll explores Beth El beyond the property line. Throughout these pages, you will see some of the programs and experiences that occur outside the building. As we live our lives predominantly beyond the walls of Beth El, Judaism must extend past the walls, too. Judaism is relevant to our work life, relationships, parenting, and health. It can also improve our community and our spiritual lives. Thus, we should not let Judaism reside exclusively at 8215 Old Georgetown Road.
Exodus 25:8 reads: “And let them make Me [God] a sanctuary and I will dwell amongst them.” This verse is often understood as God dwelling amongst the Israelites because God has gained a residence – the sanctuary. I like to read the verse more broadly, though. God will be felt amongst the community because the sanctuary acts as a beacon remind-ing them of God. No matter where they
live, people will be mindful of how God dwells amongst them. It is not a habita-tion for God, but rather a point of refer-ence for the people.
Today, Judaism and God can also dwell amongst us. Like the ancient bea-con, our synagogue can remind us to open ourselves up to our faith, our ritu-als, and our values in our lives.
From Jews and Brews meeting for Torah study at a local brewery to affin-ity groups learning in conference rooms around town, we are acting beyond the walls of Beth El. At local food banks and shelters, Judaism propels us to engage in the broader community. I hope this issue inspires you to join an ongoing effort or to initiate a new program to express Jewish values beyond our Bethesda in-tersection. Most of our lives are spent outside of Beth El, so let’s make sure we bring Judaism’s ideals and the Divine with us, too. n
S c r o l lCongregation Beth El
The Scroll is a recipient of three Solomon Schech-ter Gold Awards from the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.
December 2015 • Kislev-Tevet 5776 Vol. 65 No. 4From the Clergy
Theme Beth El Beyond the Building• 1, 4-7
From the Clergy • 1
Women’s Retreat • 1
Scholar-in- Residence • 2-3
Judaism and Shakespeare • 3
Mitzvah Day • 10-11
Library Corner • 13
Hanukkah Need List • 15
Departments
Men’s Club • 8
Sisterhood • 9
Contributions • 18
Bulletin Board • 20
By Rabbi Greg Harris
Women’s Retreat Explores CreativityBy Holly Stein, Phyllis Michaels, and Shelley DuckerAt the Beth El women’s retreat held November 6-8 at the Bolger Center in Potomac, our weekend was filled with creating new friendships, renewing our spirituality, and exploring interesting topics. Our seminars included “Shabbat: What Does It Mean to You?” facilitated by Rabbi Mindy Portnoy, “A Jewish Perspective on Friendship” facilitated by Gail Fribush, and a hands-on art session with Tamar Fishman. There were group
continued on page 17Rabbi Mindy Portnoy (left), Judith Green-berg, and Edith Sievers
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S c r o l l8215 Old Georgetown RoadBethesda, Maryland 20814-1451Phone 301-652-2606 Fax 301-907-8559Web www.bethelmc.orgAffiliated with United Synagogue of Conservative JudaismRabbi Gregory Harris [email protected] Rabbi Fabian Werbin [email protected] Hazzan Matthew Klein [email protected] Clergy Emeriti Rabbi Samuel Scolnic z”lRabbi William Rudolph [email protected] Abraham Lubin [email protected] Director Sheila H. Bellack [email protected] DirectorRabbi Mark Levine [email protected] Education DirectorElisha Frumkin [email protected] of Community Engagement Geryl Baer [email protected] Preschool Director Kim Lausin [email protected] Director Adam Zeren [email protected] Sorkin [email protected] Vice PresidentLarisa Avner Trainor [email protected] Vice PresidentCarolyn Berger [email protected] and Tikkun Olam Vice PresidentLarry Sidman [email protected] Building Vice President Ivy Fields [email protected] and Finance Vice PresidentMark C. Bronfman [email protected] and Lifelong Learning Vice PresidentSara Gordon [email protected] and Spirituality Vice PresidentRebecca Musher Gross [email protected] B. Hoffman [email protected] Emmer [email protected] Committee [email protected] Janet Meyers, Chair, Sharon Apfel, Judy Futterman, Mara Greengrass, Susan Jerison, Davida Kales, Marci Kanstoroom, Helen Popper, Marsha Rehns, Walter Schimmerling, Larry Sidman, and Katie Smeltz. Graphic designer: Tiarra Joslyn 4U editor: Jennifer KatzScroll, USPS Number 009813, is published monthly by Congregation Beth El of Montgomery County, 8215 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda, MD 20814. Periodi-cal postage rate paid at Bethesda, Maryland and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Scroll, 8215 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, MD 20814.
Dr. Jonathan SarnaScholar-in-Residence
Congregational Shabbat DinnerFriday, January 15
Join us at 6:30 pm for the Friday Evening Service, followed by Shabbat dinner at 7:30 pm. Please complete the dinner reservation form below together with your check payable to Beth El.
RSVP deadline is Tuesday morning, January 12. Questions? Call 301-652-2606 or email [email protected]
Adult/teen name(s)______________________________________________________________________________________
Child name(s) and age(s) ______________________________
___________________________________________________
Daytime phone ______________________________________
Email ______________________________________________
# Member adults/teens @ $22 _____ Total: $_______ # Nonmember adults/teens @ $27 _____ Total: $_______ # Children 6 – 12 years @ $10 _____ Total: $_______ No charge for children under 6 years of age.
Total due: $___________ (Max. $64 per household)
Please provide _______ vegan meals.
Food allergies? ____________________________________Please try to seat us/me with:________________________________________
Mail to or drop off at Congregation Beth El8215 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, MD 20814
Eighth AnnualLatke-Hamantasch DebateSunday, December 6, 10:00 am
Beth El’s Latke-Hamantasch Debate has regaled packed houses for the last seven years, with debaters on both sides offering original and clever defenses for their delicacy and the audience screaming for more! This year’s esteemed debaters are Arielle Grill (attorney), Edoardo Kulp (game maker), Kim Lausin (early childhood educator), and David Metzger (architect). Rabbi Bill Rudolph (retired rabbi) is coming out of retirement to emcee.
The debate over the relative merits of the Latke vs. the Ha-mantasch began several decades ago at the University of Chicago. It has since been taken up in several venues outside Chicago, and we hope you will join us again here in Bethesda to explore this compelling question.
Appropriate refreshments follow; don’t miss this entertain-ing, somewhat educational, and very fun morning. Under-written through the generosity of Pat and Jerry Danoff.
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We Jews are classically known as the “People of the Book” – a people intimately attached to the written word. Indeed, we study Torah, Talmud, and midrash in a way to deepen our understanding of HaShem’s “word.” Our ability to interpret language is at the heart of our ability to experience God.Heart of Western LiteratureShakespeare’s works and the Bible are both at the heart of the Western literary canon. Both deal with the fundamental questions of human ex-istence and both have inspired gen-erations of readers, writers, actors, and audiences. Both the Torah and Shakespeare require study and atten-tion to language to truly experience their deepest truths.
I have always loved Torah and Shakespeare for their depth, values, and great stories. As a Shakespearean summer camper in my high school days, I learned firsthand the importance of understanding each word to get the most out of Shakespeare. I loved every minute of it.
Fifteen years later, it became my privi-lege to share both of these loves with Beth El’s teenagers by organizing a special trip that would highlight the pleasures of Torah and Shakespeare. So, on October 11, a group of Beth El and Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School pre-teens and teens (12 from Beth El; six
from JDS) traveled two-and-a-half hours south to Staunton, Va., home of the American Shakespeare Center (ASC) and the world’s only recre-ation of Shakespeare’s winter theater – the Blackfriars Playhouse. We were accompanied by JDS teacher Debo-rah Feigenson and her mother, Judy, who co-lead JDS’s Shakespeare club, as well as Beth El parents Matthew and Jennifer Goldberg, and our Beth El cantorial intern, Sarah Bolts.
During our trip, we learned how to read the Bible as a drama and studied parallel archetypes in Shakespearean and Jewish literature. We toured the beau-
Teens Study the Bible and ShakespeareBy Hazzan Matthew Klein
Dr. Jonathan Sarna, Scholar-in-Residence
Hazzan Klein with Beth El, JDS students at Blackfriars Playhouse
Beth El is thrilled to welcome Jonathan Sarna as our Scholar-in-Residence, January 15-17, focusing on this year’s theme, “American Jewish Creativ-ity.” Dr. Sarna is the Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History and chair of the Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Pro-gram at Brandeis University, as
well as chief historian of the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. In 2004, he was dubbed by the Forward newspaper as one of the 50 most influential American Jews. Dr. Sarna studied at Brandeis University, Boston Hebrew College, Merkaz HaRav Kook in Jerusalem, and Yale University, where he obtained his doctorate. Before returning to Brandeis, he taught at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Yale University, University of Cincinnati, and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Dr. Sarna has written, edited, or co-edited more than 30 books, including the recently published When Gen-eral Grant Expelled the Jews. He is best known for American
Judaism: A History, which has been praised as the single best description of American Judaism during its 350 years on American soil. n
SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCE SCHEDULE Friday evening, January 156:30 pm Kol Haneshama Service (in-
cludes musical instruments)7:30 pm Congregational Shabbat
Dinner (see form, page 2)8:30 pm Dr. Sarna will speak on “An Old Faith in the
New World: The History of American Judaism.”
Shabbat morning, January 169:30 am Shabbat Service. Dr. Sarna will offer the d’var
Torah on “Looking Ahead: American Judaism in the 21st Century.”
12:45 pm Following kiddush, Dr. Sarna will continue with his sermon topic, including a Q&A.
Sunday morning, January 1710:00 am Dr. Sarna will speak at Men’s Club on “That
Obnoxious Order: Ulysses S. Grant and the Jews.”
continued on page 12
Con
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Beth El • Theme of the Year
• Am
erican Jewish Creativ
ity •
Con
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Beth El • Theme of the Year
• Am
erican Jewish Creativ
ity •
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Beth El Lawyers Breakfasts
Female Physicians GroupBy Marci KanstoroomThe dozen women looked no different from the other moms dropping their children off at Religious School, but these women were here to do their own learning as part of the Beth El Female Physicians group. As they greeted each other, sipped coffee, and looked over their reading assign-ment, their faces did not betray the long days they spend focused on healing.
Last year, Rona Schwartz noticed there were already Beth El groups for lawyers and scientists and engineers. She said she had several reasons for start-ing the Female Physicians group. “First, I have been trying to find more meaning in my work as a physician, and I was hoping that bringing together others like me would help. Second, I have always felt that I do what I do because of my Jewish values, but I don’t ever express that and wanted a way to acknowledge this.” She also said she has met other female physicians at Beth El over the years, but because of everyone’s busy sched-ules they can never get together. “Now we have a planned get-together!” she said.Balancing Similar IssuesThe group has met four times, with each meeting attended by 10 to 15 women, some longtime Beth El members and some new. Erika Schwartz said the group is the first she has
been involved with since she joined Beth El last year. “It’s been wonderful to meet women in our community who share so much in common. Although we all have very dif-ferent professional situations, many of us share the same con-cerns and balance similar issues.” She said meeting the other women has made her feel more connected to Beth El.
At an earlier meeting, the group discussed Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, which sparked another session about Jewish
views on end-of-life care. At the meeting I attended in October, the group discussed an excerpt from the autobiography of Wil-liam Carlos Williams, physician and poet.
Sandra Rubin began the dis-cussion by describing a prayer she had read during Rosh Ha-shanah asking God to help us to have strength as we work to repair and heal ourselves and the world. The prayer spoke to her,
she said, as a doctor who faces the daily challenge of work-ing closely with people who are suffering deeply. Encountering Sickness and DeathSandra told the group about William Carlos Williams’s life and his work’s themes, which include thoughts on how doctors may summon the strength to keep going while en-countering so much sickness and death. For Williams, being
Breakfast OriginsBy Michael CutlerThe idea for a lawyers group grew out of discussions back in June 2012 involving Brad Wine, David Mills, David Topol, and me, with subsequent assistance from Jeff Grill and Josh-ua Odintz. Our initial focus was fundraising, and we were thinking about a focused effort directed at Beth El’s lawyers. But it turned out that Beth El didn’t know which of our fellow congregants were lawyers.
The more we thought about it, the more interested we got in finding out who the other Beth El lawyers were. So that led us to think that it might be nice, just as a social thing, to pull Beth El lawyers together as a group.
The first breakfast, led by Rabbi Harris, was in January 2013, and about 30 people showed up.
There have been about eight breakfasts since then; most were held at the offices of large law firms in Washington, but a few have been at law offices in Bethesda.
Attendance has generally been around 30-40 people. The rabbis have presented a variety of topics at the intersection of religion and law. In a room full of lawyers, we can count on an animated discussion of the issues. It’s been nice to see each time that there are some regular attendees and some new people, and I’ve really enjoyed the chance to get to know a lot of my fellow congregants.
It was also great that the clergy turned out to be willing continued on page 12
continued on page 12
Janine Daub (left), Sandra Rubin, Rona Schwartz, Gerri Baer
Theme Editor: Marci Kanstoroom
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Far Flung ConnectionsBy Rita Weiss
In January 2007, we moved to Battery Park, a neighborhood steps from Beth El, which was an important part of the package. There was a particular week recently that was a case study in why it is so great to live “in the neighborhood,” and the myriad ways in which our very close con-nections (physically and emotion-ally) to Beth El make our lives so much richer.
Tuesday evening, text mes-sage from Close Pal and Religious School Teacher C:“Teaching to-night. R U home? I’ll drop by after for a glass of wine.” Sure!
Wednesday, the phone rings, Much Loved Hebrew Tu-tor M: “I really want to come and see my student’s bar mitz-vah on Saturday. Is your guest room available?” It’s open; it’s hers.
Thursday afternoon, the Mother of the House S: “I am falling into the post-holiday blahs. What should I do?” Run
over to sit in on the monthly women’s Rosh Chodesh dis-cussion group. Spiritual crisis avoided!
Thursday, the phone again, Community Engagement Director G: “A young Israeli just dropped by, fresh out of the IDF, and spending some time here in Montgomery County. Doesn’t drive and wants a place for his first Shab-bat in America, can you take him?” Throw another chicken in the pro-verbial pot, make another bed. Beth El community spirit in the house. . .Stay for One L’ChaimFriday night: We are home cook-
ing, and who walks our guests back to our house after Kabbalat Shabbat services? Esteemed New Head Rabbi G. Father of the House A insists, “You can stay for one l’chaim, can’t you?” The crowd grows, the noise builds, and maybe Elijah is just around the corner.
The Phone Rings: A Beth El Neighborhood TaleBy Shelley and Adam Ducker
Beyond the BuildingBETH EL
continued on page 16
continued on page 16
Beth El is no longer in our immediate neighborhood. How-ever, it wasn’t always that way. When we moved to Potomac from Philadelphia in 1963, we “shopped around” for a year until we discovered a Jewish congregation on which to hang our spiritual souls. Irv and I had always lived close to our neighborhood shul, so locating one for our young family was im-portant to us. We have never regretted our decision to join Congregation Beth El of Montgomery County, even as our family life has taken numerous turns over the past 52 years. Living Near ChurchillIn our early membership years, Beth El was our family’s community. We lived near Churchill High School, a 15-minute drive to Beth El, and we did not know many people. We became part of Rabbi Scolnic’s Hevrah
Bet, the second havurah group he formed, and its mem-bers became close friends. Our shul friends included those
located near Churchill, as well as others in Bethesda and Chevy Chase. We so-cialized and spent Jewish holidays with several Hevrah members, formed Reli-gious School car pools with other Beth El members in Potomac, celebrated simchas together, and attended activities at Beth El. We always had a sukkah party, and our friends included those from Beth El, as well as our larger circle of Jewish and non-Jewish friends. We were asked to be members of numerous shul committees, and I was even a panelist discussing, from
a Jewish mother’s perspective, Philip Roth’s scandalous – at that time – Portnoy’s Complaint. In retrospect, I suppose our
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Scientists and EngineersBy Arthur N. Popper
Beth El Beyond the Building Continued
After seeing the announcements about a Beth El lawyers group, I decided that other Beth El groups might be inter-ested in getting together on a regular basis. Scientists and engineers were the second such group. I touched base with Rabbi Rudolph; he was most enthusiastic and supportive, as have been Rabbi Harris and Hazzan Klein.
Our group has met five or six times in the last 18 months. The first time, we met at a restaurant, but that turned out to be noisy and not very pleasant. Unlike law-yers, who have offices with conference rooms, none of us has that kind of space. We debated whether we should meet at someone’s home or the shul and finally decided the shul is most convenient, and it provides a “roundtable” that is con-ducive to discussion. An added benefit is that Kevin Trainor, Beth El chef, makes us breakfast (donated by the morning’s speaker).
There is a group of about 20 regulars with a broad range of backgrounds in STEM (science, technology, engineer-ing, and mathematics), but we have had as many as 30 at meetings. While most members of the group are closer to “senior,” graduate students and other younger scientists have joined us most times, and we all enjoy and value their ideas and perspectives.Jewish Approach to IssuesAt each meeting we have a presentation on some topic (most recently on artificial intelligence), followed by a dis-cussion that can go in any direction. Often we talk about
a Jewish approach to the issue. The rabbis and hazzan have come well prepared to lead us to Jewish issues, and that of-ten results in substantial discussion and debate. Everyone present is trained to think analytically and is used to the give and take of scientific discussion and collaboration to hone ideas. It is great fun, with the same kinds of debate one gets in discussing any scientific idea among scientists.
I’ve met new people through the group. I told one new acquaintance about a program I run at the University of Maryland to increase the number of undergraduates who become involved in teaching science and math for grades 7-12. This woman got really excited and not only has be-come a donor to the program, but she and her husband are also likely to mentor some of our students.
My family has belonged to Beth El for more than 35 years, and I’ve held most every office including president. But, over the past few years, due to other obligations, I’ve been less involved, so this group helps bring me back to our shul and its amazing congregation.
The scientists and engineers group is something I look forward to attending – very stimulating discussions with very smart people from a variety of disciplines. The topics have been wide-ranging and so fun. Our next topic will be one of my favorites – evolution – and I’ll lead the discus-sion. I’m not sure what I’ll cover yet, but the topic is one of amazing interest and implications for me both as a scientist and as a Jew. n
Commercial Real EstateBy Alan GoldsteinAdam Ducker and I were chatting during the kiddush one Shabbat and compared our observations on the weekly announcements. There was an up-coming study breakfast for lawyers, a breakfast for women doctors, and – it seemed – a breakfast for every group. We immediately decided that we also like to eat, study, and network, so we set about establishing a similar group for folks in commercial real estate. By the end of kiddush, Rabbi Harris had graciously agreed to the idea. We then worked with Geryl Baer, director of community engage-ment, to set up a first meeting.
More than 50 people expressed interest and nearly 20 at-tended the first session, which was hosted by Adam at RCL-
CO, his company based in downtown Bethesda. Rabbi Harris led a lively discussion of biblical observations on building codes. Who knew! We held our second meeting recently at Clark Construction, hosted by Dale Rosen-thal, and again had a conference room full of folks and an engaging chat about business ethics. The group will continue to meet quarterly and wel-
comes anyone with a connection to the real estate world to join us. n
Rabbi Harris studies with group members
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Beth El Beyond the Building Continued
Walking in Downtown BethesdaBy Geryl Baer
The ShiurBy Alan Golden
Jews and BrewsBy Bucky Jacobson
Every Friday morning this past Sep-tember and October, I walked the Capital Crescent trail with other Beth El members. It was a wonderful way to get out of the building, be in vi-brant and bustling downtown Bethes-da, and enjoy beautiful weather before it turned cold.
This was just one of the programs that Beth El has created to be out of the building. The shul has hosted several programs in downtown Bethesda, such as chil-dren’s book readings at Barnes & Noble, classes such as Rabbi Harris’s “God Talks” at Cosi and La Madeleine and Jews and Brews at Rock Bottom Brewery. We also had a Rosh Hashanah honey tasting at Balducci’s in the Wildwood Shopping Center.
Be on the lookout for more programs in the coming months. Check out the next Jews and Brews with Rabbi Harris on December 16, and when the weather warms up again, join me for another walk on the trail.
“Jeremy Zissman and I were talking at a bar mitzvah party,” said Rabbi Greg Harris. “He told me he was studying with an Orthodox rabbi and wanted to know if we could do something similar. I said yes. He was surprised to learn that he could get a dozen guys together, and I would come to study with them. We have been meeting for about eight years as ‘The Shiur.’”
The Shiur was, and still is, a guys’ evening at one of the member’s homes. There is a kosher deli or shawarma platter; wine, beer, and other libations; a lot of kibbitzing; and a study or discussion session led by the clergy. Rabbi Harris, Rabbi Rudolph, Rabbi Werbin, and Hazzan Klein have led sessions. We meet every other month, and during Sukkot we try to meet in the sukkah of one of the members.
The clergy can try out an experimental or controversial topic on our group. We typically end the evening with a scholar’s Kaddish. We raise a couple hundred dollars each session to be contributed to the Beth El fund of the clergy’s choice in return for putting up with us.
Most of the guys in the Shiur are relatively active at Beth El. Many of us have served on the Board over the years or have been active in other groups connected with Beth El. The Shiur has more than doubled in size during the last five years. Being in the group has meant camaraderie with old friends and a forum to make new friends. n
Jews and Brews began in 2004. There was a small group of us that were part of a Beth El committee, and we would go out for a beer after our meetings. When the work of the committee ended, I suggested to everyone that we needed to continue in some form or fashion to get together. Rabbi Harris and I came up with the idea to launch Dad’s Night Out – now called Jews and Brews. The concept was to provide a venue and time for dads (or younger men) with young kids to get together, socialize, connect, and study. The group started small with about a dozen men. We would meet at 9:00 pm on a weeknight at Rock Bottom Brewery in downtown Bethesda so that we could put our kids to sleep and spend some time with our spouses.
We would spend the first half hour socializing and wel-coming new men to the group. Rabbi Harris would then lead a study session for about an hour. The sessions are in-teractive and thought provoking. Many topics are from the Torah and related texts, and Rabbi Harris often ties the texts to current topics. We also discuss holiday and Shabbat tradi-tions.
Participants in the group feel a stronger connection, and Jews and Brews helps to make Big Beth El just a bit smaller. n
Fourth Annual
Chinese Food and a MovieSpend “Erev Xmas” with Beth ElA variety of movies will be shown throughout the
late afternoon and evening for individuals and families of all ages.
Thursday, December 24Movies will begin at 4:30 pm. Dinner will be served from 6:00-7:00 pm.Movies will continue at 7:30 pm.
$15 per person $10 for children (ages 6-10)$5 for children (ages 2-5)$50 maximum per family
RSVP by Thursday, December 17, with the ages of attend-ees to ensure appropriate movie selections, to Geryl Baer at [email protected] or 301-652-2606, ext. 352.
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With Box Tops for Education collected by Sisterhood, Weller Road Elementary School in Silver Spring purchased a book cart for its library, audio book packets in English and Spanish and a cart to hang them on, and activity backpacks.
The school’s population is struggling economically, and these purchases – using Box Tops from Beth El members that we collected – are greatly appreciated. Thank you for clipping those Box Tops labels on food and other packages and bringing them to Beth El’s canister on the countertop in our lobby. Please keep them coming. n
Israel Needs UsWe Need Israel
Beginning with this issue of the Scroll, we will be high-lighting opportunities to learn more about and support Israel.
HEAR Dr. Daniel Gordis, internationally renowned rabbi, writer, and speaker, discuss “Moving Forward To-gether” to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship, Mon-day, November 30, 8:00 pm at Beth El.
READ Ally by Michael Oren, former ambassador of Israel to the United States, describing the challenges he faced in navigating the relationships between our two great nations and their leaders.
BUY Israel Bonds as a Hanukkah present for your children or grandchildren for as little as $36 online or rebalance your investment portfolio as the end of the year approaches. Go to Israelbonds.com or call Richard Karlin or Adele Kravitz at 240-479-7922.
Men’s Club
Upcoming Men’s Club EventsThursday, December 3, 8:30 pm Hearing Men’s Voices:
David Margulies will lead a discussion on “Light, Sight, and Vision.”
Sunday, December 6, 10:00 am Latke-Hamantasch De-bate
Sunday, December 13, 10:00 am Alexa Fraser will dis-cuss “End-of-Life Assistance: Do We Have Appropriate Legislation in Place?” Fraser works with Compassion & Choice, a non-profit group focused on legalizing end-of-life assistance for terminally ill people who meet certain criteria.
Sunday, December 20, 10:00 am Howard Feibus, a con-gregant who has studied ways to limit the impacts of global warming, will discuss Pope Francis’s recent comments on the environment. Howard will discuss world leaders’ reactions to the Pope’s appeal to limit global warming.
Box Tops for Weller Road Elementary
MAH JONGG CARDSSisterhood is taking orders for 2016 mah jongg cards
______ Standard card @ $8.00 $_____________ Large print @ $9.00 $_______Checks must be received by Friday, January 29.
Name____________________________________________
Member #_______ (optional)
Address__________________________________________
City, State, Zip: ____________________________________
Email ___________________________________________
Please make checks payable to Beth El Sisterhood and mail to 8215 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda, MD 20814, Attn: Mah Jongg
The fifth annual Sisterhood Mah Jongg Tournament will take place on Sunday, February 21. For more information, contact Nancy Kay.
Sisterhood Social Action Committee invites you to
Cook, Craft, and ChatSunday, December 20, 9:30-11:45 am
Bender Social Hall
Join Sisterhood to bake treats and create decorative bookmarks for women and chil-dren staying at the National Center for Chil-dren and Families. No skills necessary!
No charge, but bring a new chil-dren’s book and Box Tops for Edu-cation.
RSVP by Friday, December 11, to Fran Rubin at [email protected].
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At Sisterhood Shabbat on January 9, Janet Meyers will receive the Golda Meir Award for service to Beth El and to Sisterhood.
About 10 years ago, I got a call to join a committee revamping Beth El’s Scroll. The idea was to turn it into a feature magazine with a monthly theme and a fresh design. Marsha Rehns was leading the committee, and we set to work.
Before my children (Zoe, Todd, and Adina) were born, I had worked as a reporter for maga-zines and newspapers. Scroll Committee members had im-pressive journalistic backgrounds, so I found our meetings exciting. We planned for a year before the first redesigned issue appeared in September 2006. It contained a profile I wrote about a congregant who kept bee hives in his back-yard – a nice tie-in with Rosh Hashanah.
The years have flown by since then. In 2011, I became committee chair. Our best issues are filled with stories that congregants write. My favorite was on Jews in the military. We had submissions representing every war from World War II through Iraq, each with an interesting Jewish angle.
My husband, Mark Pollak, and I joined Beth El in 1990, when I was pregnant. There was no argument about what kind of synagogue to join, since we had both been raised as Conservative Jews. We tried a few shuls, and Beth El turned out to be not only the closest to our house but also the one we liked best. Southern RootsI grew up at another Beth El, in Richmond, Va. My father was from Goldsboro, N.C., and my mother from Norfolk, Va., so I really go way back in the Jewish south. For college, I went to Brown University, where I majored in English lit-erature, worked on the Brown Daily Herald, and lost most of my southern accent. I have a master’s degree from Co-lumbia University Graduate School of Journalism and my last job was at the Washington bureau of Advertising Age, a weekly magazine.
In 1993, I began volunteering at Beth El, first chairing the nursery school camp committee for five years. Then, in 2001, a congregant found out about my journalism back-ground, and I got a call from Beryl Frank z”l, who was looking for someone to pull together a booklet for Beth El’s 50th anniversary. Beryl came to my house with the Beth El “archive” a few boxes of old papers and photographs. It was
fascinating stuff – letters from synagogue presidents hiring the first rabbis, strategic plans written in the 1960s, Sister-hood directories.
I learned about Beth El’s historical and philosophical roots. The Beth El of 2001, I felt, had essentially the same feel and philosophy as in 1951 – a place where congregants felt passionately about Judaism and wanted to be progressive, yet traditional, in their observance.
My Sisterhood involvement began when Marsha became president in 2010, and I served as recording secretary. In 2013, in memory of our member Mindy Lieberman, our ha-vurah (celebrating our 25th anniversary next year) organized Vashti’s Banquet, a Sisterhood program with belly-dancing, massage, and Middle-Eastern food.
Of course, Beth El has given me back more than I’ve put in (even with late nights editing Scroll stories). All three chil-dren have celebrated their b’nai mitzvah. When my parents died, I attended minyan and had much support. I took Haz-zan Lubin’s trope class, Rabbi Rudolph’s three-year parasha class, and, this year, Rabbi Werbin’s King David class. And, best of all, Beth El has given me scores of wonderful friends. n
Sisterhood
Upcoming sisterhood/Zhava EventsTuesdays, December 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 6:30 pm Mah JonggWednesday, December 2, 7:00 pm Zhava Cocktails and
Conversation (at a private home)Tuesday, December 8, 9:30 am Zhava craftingWednesday, December 9, 7:30 pm Rosh Chodesh: It’s a
Woman ThingTuesday, December 15, 7:30 pm Zhava CraftingThursday, December 17, 7:30 pm Board meetingSunday, December 20, 9:30 am Social action program
2016 Golda Meir AwardBy Janet Meyers
Annual Daniel Mann Literary Luminary Event
Sunday, January 24, 10:00 am
Presenting a mother and son superstar duo from the Jewish literary and cultural world:
Esther Foer and Franklin FoerEsther is the executive direc-tor and CEO of the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue; Franklin is a prominent journalist, author, and former editor of the New Republic. Co-spon-sored by Men’s Club, Sister-
hood, and the Library Committee in celebration of this year’s shul theme of American Jewish Creativity.
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Electronics recycling
Bra collection
Interfaith clothing collection
Jewish Foundation for Group Homes
Bikes for the World
Snack food donations
Cooking meals
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Mitzvah DayBeth El’s Mitzvah Day on October 25, supported by our Sondra Bender Com-munity Service Fund, offered a special opportunity to fulfill the mitzvah of tik-kun olam, repairing the world. Hundreds of congregants of all ages participated in Mitzvah Day, as reported in The Washington Post on October 31. Donna Shimshi, Sheryl Rosensky Miller, and Jon Polon served as Mitzvah Day co-chairs. Among the highlights:• 41 volunteers assembled 1,900 donated, individually packaged snacks
into 476 bags for children at the Capital Area Food Bank’s Kids Café. • 180 bags of clothing, sorted by 20 volunteers, were collected for low-income
and homeless families at Interfaith Works. 600 articles of professional clothing were donated to Strive DC.
• 600 servings of food, plus fresh fruit, were prepared for the homeless at Shep-herd’s Table and the Community Based Shelter/Sophia House.
• More than one ton of electronics was collected for recycling at Electronics Recycling for Montgomery County through Vintage Tech.
• A truck-full of household items, furniture, mattresses, and baby gear was col-lected for families served by A Wider Circle.
• The Beth El Day School Committee helped Jewish Foundation for Group Homes residents fill 60 gift bags with more than 600 donated supplies for Holocaust survivors.
• 51 congregants donated 47 blood units through INOVA’s mobile unit.• Beth El Preschool children donated, sorted, and packaged 31 eight-pound
bags of non-perishable food plus $300 in gift cards for youth at Weller Road Elementary School.
• 400 boxes of food were collected for Manna Food Center. • 40 members donated and packaged 115 new toys for children with cancer at
the Children’s Hospital National Medical Center.• Julie Mack sang for 70 Ring House residents. The Swinging Kleztones held
a concert for 55 Hebrew Home of Greater Washington residents. Marak Hayom performed for more than 20 Revitz House residents.
• $502 for the Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces was raised from pizza lunch sales for Mitzvah Day volunteers.
• 582 bras and 3,500 feminine products were collected for homeless women.• 67 bicycles and $460 were donated to Bikes for the World. • 371 calendars were collected for the Hebrew Home. • 60 drinks were sold to support the Feline Foundation of Greater Washington.• 9 volunteers cleaned the grounds of Flora Singer Elementary School. • Beth El families joined 11 Greentree Shelter/NCCF residents at Butler’s Or-
chard. • Several dozen musical instruments and accessories were collected for Hungry
for Music and the Friends of the Library Bookstore. • 10 hats were made for newborns in intensive care.• 6 volunteers eradicated invasive species at Hillmead Park. • Volunteers swabbed their cheeks for Delete Blood Cancer to help find
matches for bone marrow transplant patients.• 36 kindergarteners made dog biscuits and donated blankets for a local animal
shelter.• 49 first graders made apple crisps for the homeless at Shepherd’s Table and
Sophia House.• 56 second graders made cards for soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces.• 63 third graders made goody bags for kids at the Children’s Inn at NIH.• 50 fifth graders made puzzle greeting cards for Israeli children.• 90 fourth and sixth graders and their families raised $1,800 through a walk to
benefit Shepherd’s Table. • 20 seventh graders volunteered at HorseNet to help rescued horses. • 15 Bonim members packed bags of school supplies for needy children.
Photos by Jody Axinn, Edoardo Kulp, Sheryl and Amanda Miller, and Donna Shimshi
Jon Polon, Mitzvah Day co-chair (left), Lee Miller
Swinging Kleztones at Hebrew Home
Donna Shimshi (left), and Sheryl Miller, co-chairs
Hebrew Homes calendar collection
A Wider Circle Collection
2015
Interfaith clothing collection
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in intimate contact with birth, death, and illness was a source of strength because of the deep connection he felt with his patients. He adopted the patient’s struggle as his own.
The women physicians spoke of how they are strength-ened by being in the moment with each patient. However, one noted that doctors can be overwhelmed if they do not set limits and put some distance between themselves and their patients’ struggles. They also discussed the difficulty of switching gears when they go home after an emotional day of working with very sick people.Balancing Work and HomeAfter more discussion, Rabbi Greg Harris reflected that rab-bis, like doctors, also struggle with the issue of boundaries
because they experience intense connections with congre-gants and others they serve. Rabbi Harris said he also finds it difficult to balance work with home life. He reminded the women that those at home need them as much as their patients do. He also noted that Moses was a great leader to his people, but we learn from the midrash that he was not a great husband.
Erika said she appreciated the way Rabbi Harris con-nects their discussions to Judaism. The group’s discussions have “led me to look at some important things in a different way. It has led me to make changes that have benefited my patients and myself,” she said. “I had never before linked to-gether being a doctor and being Jewish, but doing so has strengthened my connection to my religion.” n
FEMALE PHYSICIANS continued from page 4
LAWYERS BREAKFAST continued from page 4
to come and meet with groups of Beth El members outside of the synagogue. I kind of liked the idea that if you don’t come to Beth El, Beth El might come to you.Discussing Text InterpretationsBy Ed BloomI started attending the lawyers’ meetings after I received an email from Beth El. I thought it sounded great. I was amazed at how many of my friends also attend these breakfasts.
The first 30-45 minutes is a meet-and-greet. A lot of people know each other, and it is a good chance to catch up and also to meet new people. During the remaining 30-45 minutes, the rabbi leads a study session. The rabbi usually brings a handout with a quote from the Torah, and we dis-cuss its meaning. As we are all lawyers, there are usually many differing interpretations.
I often see people who I have seen at the synagogue but whose names I don’t know. Going to the meetings has made me feel closer to Beth El and has caused me to want to be-come more involved. The synagogue has become more of a family, not just a place to worship. n
Maccabeats in ConcertSunday, December 13, 5:00 pm
Come hear the Maccabeats perform a capella favorites. We will also be attempting to set the Guinness World Record for most dreidels spinning simultaneously.
Tickets: $25 for adults • $20 for children under 13 $80 family maximum (immediate family only)
Purchase tickets online at bethelmc.org/events/maccabeats, or make checks payable to Congregation Beth El, 8215 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, MD 20814.
SHAKESPEARE continued from page 3
tiful Blackfriars, studied Shakespearean language with ASC scholars, and saw one of the most unbelievable productions of Midsummer Night’s Dream ever – the teens even jumped up and down in their seats with laughter!
Rabbi Bradley Artson once spoke of his vision of Judaism as “where your truest self and God’s deepest desires meet.” It was a pleasure to share the values and interests that make up part of my true self and my faith on this trip, and I could see that it was valuable for our teens as well. I wish for each of us that we can always find the meeting place between our personal passions and our spiritual calling as Jews. If you need help finding that place, just send me an email at [email protected]. n
Shabbat HospitalityVolunteer homes are needed to offer Shabbat hospitality (sleep-ing arrangements and a possible meal) for shomer Shabbat visi-tors to Beth El. If you would like to participate in the mitz-vah of hachnassat orchim or have
questions, please contact Marilyn Hammerman.
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Shepherd boy, musician, giant-slayer, king, lover, grieving father, and old man – the richness and vitality of the bibli-cal portrait of King David have inspired manifold works of art, literature, and scholarship, not to mention a popular year-long class by our own Rabbi Werbin. Beth El’s library abounds with books devoted to King David (see the catalog on the shul website), including two recent stand-out addi-tions: The Secret Chord, a historical novel by Pulitzer prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks, and David: The Divided Heart, an extended reflection on the biblical text by Rabbi David Wolpe. Don’t miss either one.The Secret ChordIt was a bar mitzvah boy who in-spired Geraldine Brooks to fashion a novel around the life of King David. Brooks’s previous novels – irresistible to fans of historical fiction – have dealt with a 17th century plague (Year of Wonders); na-tive Americans in Colonial America (Caleb’s Crossing); the Civil War (March); and the Sarajevo Hagga-dah (People of the Book). Like the biblical king, Brooks’s son, Nathaniel, took up the harp. At his bar mitzvah, Nathaniel performed Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, a contemporary song about the “secret chord” that David played that “pleased the Lord.”
Intrigued, Brooks began researching biblical texts and biblical times (including stints herding sheep and riding mules). The narrator of Secret Chord is Natan, the prophet with the courage to confront David over his sins. Natan also unflinchingly chronicles the brutality of warfare and the precarious lives of women in a patriarchal society (Brooks’s past career, as a war correspondent for The Wall Street Journal and author of the non-fiction Nine Parts of Desire: the Hidden World of Islamic Women, serves her well here). Through Natan, we learn of the travails of David’s wives and of the tragedy of his daughter, Tamar, who is raped by one brother and avenged by another. Above all, the novel immerses readers in the sensory experiences – the sights, sounds, tastes, textures, and smells – of biblical Israel. When you close the book, you will want to dust the sand from your shoes.David: The Divided HeartDavid Wolpe, the prominent rabbi-author of Sinai Temple in
Los Angeles, is captivated by the question of why King Da-vid, despite his grievous failings, is so beloved – both in the biblical narrative and by posterity. But unlike Brooks, Wolpe seeks to understand David not through literary imagination (although he references many interesting literary treatments of King David), but through a more homiletic, rabbinic analysis of the biblical text.
To Wolpe, the secret of David’s appeal lies in the com-plexities and contradictions in David’s character; he rep-resents the best and worst of humanity – the fullness of
human experience, expression, and emotion. David’s sins are heinous (murder, adultery, betrayal), but his gifts are extraordinary. Wolpe writes eloquently of David’s remarkable ability to envision possibilities that others cannot begin to imagine:
“When it is clear that Goliath can-not be felled with armor and sword, he envisions another possibility. Later, when Saul’s pursuit makes his continued exis-tence in Israel impossible, he flees to the
enemy. When Jerusalem is a backwater, he will see it as a capital; when worship in Israel is nomadic, he will envision a Temple.”
David lives larger than we do, but nonetheless, says Wolpe, David is the quintessential human, an amalgam of good and evil. Although David’s deeds are both more sublime and more sinful than ours, we recognize ourselves in David, and David in ourselves. That is why we love him, Wolpe propos-es. Maybe. Or maybe we just love a good story. n
Beth El Book ChatSunday, January 24, 11:30 am (after the Daniel Mann Literary Luminary event)
Join the discussion of Paper Love by Sarah Wildman, a non-fiction account of a journalist’s quest to find the girl her grandfather loved and lost when he escaped Vienna before World War II. For more information, contact Margery London or Robin Jacobson.
Library Corner
In Search of King DavidBy Robin Jacobson
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Nubeens (New Beth El Empty Nesters)
Potluck Hanukkah DinnerSunday, December 13,
5:00-7:00 pm Join Nubeens for a potluck Hanukkah party to enjoy a
delicious meal and “schmoozing.” We will also collect items for
residents of the Hebrew Home.
For questions and to sign up, contact Margie Hoffman or Lori
Ross.
Shofar in December? Why not?
Tuesday, December 15, 7:00-8:00 pm
If you’ve always wanted to become more than a shofar “listener,” now
is the time to learn! Join Rabbi Werbin for this interactive and
educational class about the shofar.
Whether you’re a beginner with no shofar experience or an expert
who just wants to learn a little more about the reasons behind
the ritual, you are welcome. You’re guaranteed to have a blast!
Sephardic JourneysMUSIC OF THE SPANISH JEWS
Featuring Hazzan Matthew Klein, Sephardic Hazzan Ramón Tasat,
and the William & Mary Middle Eastern Music EnsembleJoin us as we explore the musical life and legacy of the Spanish Jews through an exciting
program of Sephardic music - from Andalusia to the Middle East, from the past to the present. Produced in partnership with the College of William & Mary and the Cantors Assembly.
Purchase tickets online at bethelmc.org/sephardic-journeys
Saturday, January 237:30 pm
$20 per person
CONGREGATION BETH EL8215 Old Georgetown Road • Bethesda, MD 20814301-652-2606 • [email protected] • bethelmc.orgArtisan Boutique
Sunday, December 6, 10:00 am-2:00 pm
The Artisan Boutique will feature handmade gifts – from jewelry to Judaica – for the whole family. Purchase last minute Hanukkah presents; the holiday begins that
evening. Wares are sold by Beth El congregants and local vendors. For more information, contact Geryl Baer at [email protected] or 301-652-8569, ext. 352.
Festival of Light: An Intimate Evening with Matisyahu
Wednesday, December 9, 8:00 pm Strathmore Music Center
5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda
Matisyahu, born Paul Matthew Miller, will celebrate the tenth anniversary of his album, Live at Stubb’s, by reconnecting with mu-sical collaborators from his early touring days. The evening will include new arrangements high-lighting the reggae music that
launched his career. Matisyahu also performs rap, hip-hop, and alt rock, blending with jazz and Judaism.
Purchase tickets through Beth El for a discounted rate of $45 for orchestra seats.
Visit bethelmc.org/matisyahu-concert/ to purchase online or contact Geryl Baer at [email protected] or 301-652-2606, ext. 327.
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Beth El • Theme of the Year
• Am
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Beth El • Theme of the Year
• Am
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Wish Need ListHanukkah
At Hanukkah, the holiday of rededication, which light of Jewish life at Beth El captures your passion? By supporting Beth El’s Hanukkah Wish Need List* you will ensure that your values and priorities will remain at the forefront of our communal life.
Education1. Honor a teacher or tutor $500
Preschool Education1. STEM classroom kits (promoting science, technology, engineering, and math) $175 each2. Smartboard for interactive STEM activities $5,0003. Music/tone blocks for the playground $3,000 each
Children’s Religious School Education1. Religious School professional development $5,0002. Religious School enrichment program for one year - conversational Hebrew $3,0003. Religious School enrichment program for one year – Jewish/Israeli singing $2,7004. Religious School back-to-school parent brunch (2016) $5005. Kindergarten Consecration brunch (2016) $5006. Israel mural – lower stairwell $3,5007. American Jewish Creativity Gallery $1,000
Adult and Community Education 1. Tikkun Layl Shavuot dinner and study sessions $1,2002. Sponsorship of Beth El’s Library on-line catalog for one year $1,0003. Tuesday morning Talmud $1,0004. Library bookshelf $1,0005. Scholar-in-Residence $7,500
Services for All of Us1. Sukkot Deli Lunch – 2016 $1,8002. Simchat Torah celebration – 2016 $7503. Hamantaschen for Purim $7504. Latke-Hamantasch Debate refreshments – 2016 $5005. Shabbat or Yom Tov kiddush (when there is $250 - $425 no bar/bat mitzvah) (partial sponsorship; depends on menu)6. Groggers for Purim $2507. Holiday bimah flowers $500 each holiday
Children’s Services1. Junior Congregation (5th and 6th grades, $4,000 annual cost of leaders)2. Bit O’Megillah $2,0003. Shitufim (2nd-4th grades, annual cost) $2,0004. Gan Shabbat (K-2nd grade, leaders for one month) $4005. Junior Congregation kiddush (one month) $3006. Nitzanim services (one month) $250
Youth Activities1. Youth Lounge game equipment $2,0002. Maccabeats concert sponsorship $10,000 (or any lesser amount, minimum $1,000)
Congregation, Continuity and Community Building1. Printing of Fall Program Guide – 2016 $6,0003. Shir Atid (children’s choir) $5,0004. Israel Media Series (annually) $3,5005. Annual Barbecue $1,5006. Age & Stage Empty Nester programming $1,500 7. New member welcome baskets for one year $1,2008. Roundtable with the rabbi for one year $900 (or $75 each)9. Your special day at Beth El $1,000
Physical Plant1. Annual plantings in large flower pots $500 outside front doors (per season)
*The requested funds reflect costs of full sponsorship. Partial sponsorships and co-sponsorships are welcome. Unless indicated otherwise, all program related gifts are for one year. Please support the programs and activities you find most compelling.
To underwrite a Wish Need List item or for further information on making a gift to Beth El, please contact Andrea Glazer at [email protected] or 301-652-2606, ext. 328.
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Shabbat morning: Daughter V wants to go to shul and Daughter Z wants to play soccer. The Parents juggle: “No problem. I’ll walk her over now and you pick her up at kid-dush.” Tefillah for one, tuna and egg salad for all.
Exhausting you say? On the contrary! Our Bethesda lives, like yours, are a whirlwind of carpools, homework negotia-tions, work shenanigans, traffic jams, meetings, and missed opportunities. In our world of flight connections gone awry, Beth El is our way of getting local. Of letting go of barriers and engaging deeply in our community. Helping to build it, even. An opportunity to say yes, again and again, whenever the phone rings, because it’s easy and appreciated, and after all, it’s just around the corner.
This is the luxury of being In The Neighborhood – nev-er letting “not convenient” come between us and a chance to help build this beautiful community. It’s a much welcome excuse to get out of the car and into this sacred space that has a nexus on Old Georgetown Road but that radiates for many miles in every direction, including ours.
There’s a house for sale down the street in Battery Park – so come join us! Your guest room won’t sit empty for long! n
neighborhood and group of close friends encompassed the Greater Washington area, with Beth El at its core.Downsizing to RockvilleIn 2000, with our children grown and married, we decided to downsize and relocated to a townhouse in King Farm in Rockville. We were now a 20- to 50-minute drive to Beth El, depending on traffic. Among our first guests in our new home were Rabbis Scolnic, Rudolph, and Fishman and their wives. We became friends with Jewish neighbors in our immediate neighborhood, but we did not know that there were other Beth El members in King Farm until the “Light Up for Shabbat” initiative. Judy Scolnic told us about three families in the immediate area, and we invited them to two of our Shabbat dinners, along with Judy and other Jewish neighbors.
Because of the drive from Rockville and health issues, it began to take some effort on our part to attend Beth El activities. Certainly, the wonderful transportation fund was helpful, but, as time passed, we observed that regular Shabbat services were attended by fewer and fewer of our contem-poraries. Each week at Shabbat services, a different com-munity was present, and we felt like strangers. The Beth El leadership no longer knew us, so being asked to join a com-mittee was an infrequent occurrence, and 7:30 pm meetings in Bethesda were not an option. Our Beth El friends had left the shul, passed away, moved away, or just did not attend anymore.
Then, one Shabbat morning we attended the Early Morning Service led by Peter Novick, and we were back at Beth El with its feeling of community. This service reminds us of the old days at Beth El when everyone knew every-one else. It feels like a family. When we are absent for a few weeks, someone calls or emails to assure we are okay, and we do likewise. We have a Beth El community once again, and we relish the feeling. n
NEIGHBORHOOD TALE continued from page 5CONNECTIONS continued from page 5
Back by popular demand–
Sunday, January 31, 5:00 pmThis year brings some exciting changes. We want Sports Night to be for EVERYONE!
Families, singles, empty nesters, gray panthers. Plan to join us on Sunday, January 31,
for an evening featuring local sports stars, a silent auction, and fun for kids.
The evening will be structured a little differently, with fun activi-ties for young children first, fol-lowed by a more formal program for adults. We’ll still have the same great food, time for photos, chatting with the athletes, and lots of fun.
More details will follow closer to the event.
Mental Health Professionals The Mental Health Professionals group will meet on Tuesday, December 8, at 8:30 am at Beth El. Sharon Hyman will lead a discussion on “Yoga, Meditation, and Judaism.”
RSVP to Geryl Baer at [email protected].
Winter Clothing CollectionEvery year on December 25, the Original Pancake House opens its doors to serve breakfast and give out coats, gloves, hats, and scarves to men, women, and children in need. Most of these people are living in shelters. Last year, 700 people attended, and there were not enough items to give out. Please bring warm clothing in good condition and place in the marked collection box in the Beth El lobby by Wednesday, December 23, at noon. The box will be placed in the lobby in early December. For additional information, contact Michele Weil Fax.
Beth El Sports Night
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WOMEN’S RETREAT continued from page 1
walks, yoga, learning sessions, Shabbat services, and buffets. Lots of buffets.
One particular area of weekend focus for the more than 40 women in attendance was exploring American Jewish Creativity, the synagogue theme for the year. For our con-cluding seminar, Rabbi Harris moderated a discussion panel with Beth El members who embody and embrace creativity. Panelists included Judith Greenberg, development biologist and NIH administrator; Deborah Hendler, a singer and gui-tar player; Rabbi Mindy Portnoy, Beth El adjunct rabbi and children’s book author; Edith Sievers, an artist and Religious School teacher; and Joanne Weinberg, a retired mathematics professor.Bringing Creative Thinking to JudaismRabbi Harris posed a series of questions to the panel and to attendees about the nature of creativity and how we bring creative thinking to our Jewish practices. The panelists de-fined creativity as finding new pathways, novel approaches to answering questions, and new ways to do something differ-ently. Creativity for some may follow much thinking about a subject in order to find that new way or idea; for others,
creativity may happen “in the moment.”Rabbi Portnoy said she felt it was appropriate to add cre-
ative Jewish practices that can fill in empty spaces in Jewish tradition. Such practices might result in tweaking existing rituals or creating new ones. She added that she hoped such creativity would become the norm rather than “an extra.”
Following the panel discussion, papercut artist Tamar Fishman gave retreat attendees an opportunity to explore and express their own creativity. With the goal of hiddur mitzvah, or beautifying the commandment, Tamar demon-strated how to create a papercut design for a Shabbat challah cover.
Rabbi Harris closed the discussion with the observation that Judaism needs to be in the home, the workplace, the head, and the heart as we move through life. Judaism is the canvas for how to develop creative solutions to life’s prob-lems, he said. It was apparent that through this theme, Beth El members are encouraged to think about how to make our Judaism more meaningful as we look for the balance be-tween traditional rituals and creative new ways of looking at our tradition. The retreat offered a wonderful way to start. n
IRS Charitable Contribution RulesThe 1993 tax law requires you to have a “contem-poraneous” receipt for all charitable contributions of $250 or more after December 31, 1993. If you make a contribution of $75 or more for which you also receive something of value in return, you are also required to have a receipt showing the non-deductible value of what you received.
In order to reduce your paperwork and ours, Beth El takes advantage of the provision of the law that allows the use of an annual statement, which will satisfy your “contemporaneous” receipt requirement.
In order to ensure that all payments made by you dur-ing 2015 are reflected on your statement, the statement will include all checks dated no later than December 31, 2015, and received in the Beth El office through January 8, 2016. Gifts of stock must be received in Beth El’s stock account by December 31. Contribution state-ments will be mailed before the end of January 2016.
Before the End of the YearBeth El is a vibrant community that provides a dy-namic Jewish environment. As the calendar year winds down, please consider an end-of-the-year gift that will help us remain the Jewish community you have come to expect.
Make a Gift for a Low Dollar Value With the stock market rebounding, we have an extraor-dinary opportunity of which to take full advantage. A gift of appreciated securities enables you to maximize your contribution to Beth El, maximize your charitable deduction, and minimize your capital gains tax liabil-ity. Transferring stock to Beth El is an easy procedure. Contact Andrea Glazer at [email protected] for instructions.
Create a Jewish Legacy Jewish tradition teaches us that it is our responsibility to make this world a better place for future generations. To learn why you might make a legacy gift to Beth El as part of your estate planning and how you can create a legacy gift, contact Andrea Glazer at [email protected].
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ContributionsPlease remember that contributions can be made easily, quickly, and securely via our webpage – www.bethelmc.org
Donations made from October 2 to October 28Beth El ForestIn Memory Of:Daniel Edelman by Scott EdelmanBeth El Israel FundBy: Daniel BenderCantor’s FundIn Honor Of:Sandy Lubin’s recovery by Judith and Stanley BaldingerBirth of George Shalom Austerklein by Judith BaldingerIn Memory Of:Lillie Lefkowitz by Fay and Jerry CherninCapital Campaign By Sarah KalserIn Memory Of:Irving Horn by Linda SchatzChevra Kadisha FundIn Honor Of:Rabbi Harris’s teaching by Jews and BrewsIn Memory Of:Jerry Miller by Sheryl and Lee MillerSarah Greenberg, mother of Brenda Schmand, by Brenda, Jim,
Josh, and Carly SchmandDisabled Access FundIn Memory Of:Charles Lefkowitz, my father, by Anita AshGeneral FundBy Brenda Gruss and Daniel HirschIn Honor Of:Rabbi Harris leading his first High Holiday services as senior
rabbi by Robin Jacobson and Jim ArmbrusterRabbi Werbin leading his first High Holiday services at Beth El
by Robin Jacobson and Jim ArmbrusterHazzan Klein and Rabbi Auster and their new son, George, by
Robin Jacobson and Jim ArmbrusterAllen Eisenberg by Mike and Hilda GetzBill Kanter’s Torah reading by Sue KanterClaire Sorkin becoming a bat mitzvah by the Pomerantz-
Arnold familySusan Levine’s Haftarah reading by Bob JanneyJackie and David Levine by Craig YokumMarriage of Samantha Himelman and Seth Niedermayer, son
of Gail Ross and Roy Niedermayer, by Beth El Opera Ha-vurah
The Sorkin family on Claire Sorkin’s bat mitzvah by Sheryl, Lee, Lindsey, and Amanda Miller
Our Yom Kippur aliyah by Debbie and Sam OlchykRabbi Harris by Gail and Harvey WineRicardo Munster by the Bridge ClubTamar Fishman’s birthday by Esther and Elliot Wilner, Rebec-
ca, Jonathan, Jacob, Zachary, and Jonah Gross, Jose and Tutti Sokol, and Sue and Ron Grudziecki
The Beth El staff by Bob Janney and Susan LevineThe Cernea family by Debbie and Ed BloomIn Memory Of:Aaron Freedman, father of Gale Dutcher, by Esther and Elliot
Wilner and Donna Vogel and David MarguliesAlan Swoff by Julian Levin and Sondra BrodyAllen Miller by Rebecca Wilks, Judy Liss, Phyllis Pomerantz
Arnold, and families
Elaine Eckland by Kimberlee and Mark SchifrinEra Zusin by Bela and Michael ShmirkinFay Altschuler by Natalie and David RoseHerman Bleshman by Natalie AdamsHerman Jutkowitz, father of Stanley Jutkowitz, by Donna Vogel
and David Margulies and Esther and Elliot WilnerHoward Bender, father of Julie Silver, David Bender, and Bar-
bara Bender, grandfather of Jason Belinkie, Jena Riley, Nikki Cole, Jake Bender, Ross Bender, Gabriella Bender-Laskow, Sara Bender-Bier, and Diana Bender-Bier, and father-in-law of David Silver and Nan Bender, by Patti Silver and Jeff, Jake, and Josh Trauberman
Ilya Mazo by Marina GinderovIrving P. Cohn by Dale GoldJoel Cadoff by Joseph and Dorene RosenthalMarian Selik by Vivian and Irving BeydaMasha Cohen Bara, mother of Sheila Cohen, by Donna Vogel
and David MarguliesMerritt Koenig by Mark Koenig and Leslie KaufmannMy beloved brother, Soloman Joseph Ozarin, by Lucy OzarinNathan and Paula Super, my parents, and the grandparents of
Nancy Gaba, by Susan and Jeffrey SuperNusha Shaff by Hilda and Mike GetzRabbi Paul Hirsch, from his children Raquel and Walter, by
Walter SchimmerlingRebecca Zagoria, my beloved mother, and Nathan Zagoria, my
beloved father, by Etta KlineRobert Stein, father of Douglas Stein and Deborah Kennedy,
by Julian LevinShirley Tishler by Janice RosenfieldSol Strauss, my father, and Charles J. Oliner, my son, by Ger-
trude OlinerGreen Tikkun FundIn Memory Of:Beloved father, grandpa, and father-in-law, Sam Levine, by Bob
Levine and familyJacob Kaplan by Donald A. KaplanGroner Camp Ramah Scholarship FundIn Honor Of:Al Arkin by Erwin GronerMartin Farfel by Erwin GronerTamar Fishman’s birthday by Sherry and Doron StegerKimball Nursery School FundBy Ruth LeeIn Honor Of:Rita and Irwin Kopin by Rosalie SpornIn Memory Of:Herman Jutkowitz, father of Stanley Jutkowitz, by Karen and
Jerry GreenbergBernard Kotelanski, M.D. Marriage Educaion FundIn Memory Of:Evelyn Ginsberg by Vivian and Phil GordenMasortiIn Memory Of:Henry Apfel by Sharon and Dov ApfelMazonIn Honor Of:Brent and Carolyn Berger by Josephine Sanders-Levie
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Contributions Continued
Debbie Friedman and family, on the passing of Debbie’s mother, by Selma Barron
Don Kaplan’s 70th birthday by Adeen and Mike PostarIn Memory Of:Clara Altman by Judith, Stanley, and Alex BaldingerFrances Dellon by Jim and Leslie DellonMoshe Friedman by Sarah FriedmanMen’s Club Perspectives FundIn Memory Of:Harry Neiterman by Bernard ResnickMorning Minyan FundIn Honor Of:Cary Feldman by Craig YokumBorys Gendelman by Craig YokumIn Memory Of:Beloved grandmother, Edna Routhenstein, by Susan J. LevinsonMasha Cohen Baras by Barbara and Allen LermanMy father, Herbert Levinson, by Karen LevinsonRose Minker, my mother, by Jack MinkerPrayer Book FundIn Memory Of:Irving Troffkin by Howard and Rhea TroffkinRabbi’s FundBy: Howard and Susan FeibusIn Honor Of:Rabbi Harris, for his assistance at the time of Irwin Aisenberg’s
death, by the Aisenberg familyRabbi Harris for leading minyan during the shiva for my
mother, Masha Cohen Baras, by Sheila Cohen and Phil OchsRabbi Werbin for leading minyan during the shiva for my
mother, Masha Cohen Baras, by Sheila Cohen and Phil OchsRabbi Fabian Werbin, for his Yom Kippur sermon, by Michael
CerneaRabbi Rudolph for providing support and officiating at the
funeral of my mother, Masha Cohen Baras, by Sheila Cohen and Phil Ochs
Andrei Cernea and his work saving lives by Michael CerneaJoseph Golickman by Libby GordonRosalie Sporn by Isadora KornbluthOur aliyah by Ina and Jerome WernickMy High Holiday aliyah by Doris PovichIn Memory Of:Samuel L. Baraf by Cheryl and Herbert BarafBlanche Nisenfeld by Dena ForsterJack Rosensky by Anne and Martin RosenskyLiba Goldberg by Harriet WeinsteinMaxine Rudman by Sarah BirnbachPhilip Florin by Robin ThomashauerSamuel Gladstone by Mark GladstoneAbraham Daniel Tepper by Cindy and Jonathan TepperBert Appleton, my beloved father, by Andrea Appleton GoldenCharles Lefkowitz by Fay and Jerry CherninScolnic Adult Institute FundIn Honor Of:Our clergy by Lewis and Susan WinarskyIn Memory Of:Samuel Winarsky by Lewis and Susan WinarskyVida Mathilde Ventura by Jack VenturaIrwin Aisenberg by Paragon Title and Escrow Company
Senior CaucusIn Honor Of:L’Dor L’Dor program, with thanks to Ricardo Munster, Debbie
Olchyk, and Susan Bruckheim, by Audrey BergerIn Memory Of:Bill Alterman by Audrey BergerMary Cohen Shochet by Esther ShermanGertrude Parkoff Schultz, my beloved grandmother, by Tricia
SachsMy beloved husband, Irving Goldberg, and my mother-in-law,
Sadie Goldberg, by Annette GoldbergSimos Music FundIn Honor Of:Elizabeth and Richard Zorowitz by Debbie and Ed BloomIn Memory Of:Ethel Gluck Stein by Lillian MillerSisterhood Kesher Nashim FundIn Memory Of:Miriam Altman by Judith, Stanley, and Alex BaldingerSisterhood Kiddush FundIn Memory Of:Hilda Shamash Sidman, beloved wife and mother, by Larry Sid-
manToby Barr, my beloved sister, by Margy NurikSisterhood Shiva Meal FundIn Memory Of:Alan Miller, father of Danielle Miller Wagner, by Nancy and
Kevin LapidusMalcom Friedman by Barbara FriedmanMinnie Ectman, my beloved mother, by Marcia JeffriesDr. Elaine L. Shalowitz Education FundIn Memory Of:Aaron Shalowitz, my beloved father, by Erwin ShalowitzSybil Suls Youth Activites FundIn Memory Of:Barry Traub by Judith, Stanley, and Alex Baldinger and Eliza-
beth AltmanElaine Tanenbaum Religious School Enrichment FundIn Honor Of:David Levine’s love of baseball by Herbert TanenbaumIn Memory Of:Sophie Liss by George LissTorah Scroll FundIn Honor Of:80th anniversary of Art Rosen’s bar mitzvah by Ina and Joe
YoungTransportation FundIn Memory Of:Sigmund Shapiro, beloved husband and father, by Carolyn Sha-
piro and Sarah Shapiro Beloved sister by Sabina ShalomMy beloved husband, Irving Goldberg, and my mother-in-law,
Sadie Goldberg, by Annette GoldbergSamuel Kossnerr, my beloved brother, by Mary DubrowWerner Liturgical Music FundIn Memory Of:Maurice Cohn, my father-in-law, by Jerome HeffterYoung Equality FundIn Honor Of:Tamar Fishman’s milestone birthday by Ina and Joe Young
Mazal Tov toLeesa Fields and Jonathan Band on the engagement of their
daughter, Jessica Band, to Jonathan Gerafi
Condolences to Randi and Jeremy Gold on the death of Randi’s father,
Donald MillerDanielle Miller Wagner and Joe Wagner on the death of
Danielle’s father, Alan Benjamin Miller
NoteworthyThe Hebrew Conversation Group will meet on Tuesday, December 1, and Wednesday, December 16, at 1:30 pm. Join us to hone your Hebrew conversation skills.
Senior Caucus Meeting, Wednesday, December 2, 1:00 pm. These vibrant retirees gather to hear about the ongoing programs and plan new activities. Be one of them.
Roundtable with the Rabbi, Wednesday, December 2, 2:00 pm. Join us to celebrate December birthdays (yours and those of others) with desserts, coffee, and lively discussion led by Rabbi Harris. Birthday celebrants receive a special invitation, but all are welcome.
Senior Caucus, Thursday, December 3, noon. Brown bag lunch. Come and socialize with your friends and enjoy refreshments and dessert.
Senior Caucus-Vatikkim Luncheon Program, Thursday, December 17. Starts with lunch at noon. Following lunch, join us for the program TBA. Lunch costs $10. To RSVP for lunch, contact Ricardo Munster at 301-652-2606, ext. 316, or [email protected], by Tuesday, December 15. The program is free and begins at 1:00 pm.
Bridge – the greatest game ever! Join us every Monday and Thursday (except the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Thursday this month) from noon to 3:00 pm. Drop in and join a game; no partner necessary. For information or transportation, contact Ricardo Munster at 301-652-2606, ext. 316, or [email protected].
While we know you’ll want to read every word in this issue of the Scroll, when you’re finished, please recycle it.
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Descriptions of ServicesMinyan Chaverim offers the ruach of the Shabbat services in USY, BBYO, and Hillel. We have a lay-led, traditional, participatory, spirit-filled service, including full repetition of the Shacharit and Musaf Amidah, as well as the full Torah reading with an interac-tive Torah discussion. A pot-luck lunch follows the service at a nearby home. For information, contact Debbie Feinstein at [email protected] or Sheryl Rosensky Miller at [email protected].
The Worship and Study Minyan is conducted by members of the congregation and combines evocative Torah study with ample singing and ruach. Children are welcome, although the service is oriented toward adults. For information, contact Dan Hirsch at 301-654-7289, [email protected] Sid Getz at 301-530-2215, [email protected] Mark Levitt at 301-365-5365, [email protected].
Minyan Olamim, led by Hazzan Klein and guests, includes chanting, niggunim, meditation, and a focus on the inner journey of the prayers. Mixing Hebrew and English, it is an opportunity for people of different backgrounds to sing, pray, converse, and find a deeper spiritual meaning in their Shabbat experience.
Zhava Shabbat Morning Service Gathering is an opportunity to learn more about this service with a member of Beth El’s clergy in a small group setting. Oct. 10, Nov. 14, Dec. 12, March 12, and May 14 at 10:30 am.
B e t h E l C a l e n d a r&We e k l y P a r a s h i o t
Daily Services M-F 7:30 am Sun-Th 8:00 pm Fri 6:30 pm Sun 9:00 am
Shabbat Services (all services are weekly, except as noted) Early Morning Service 7:30 am Main Service 9:30 am Babysitting (2-6 years old) 9:15 am Minyan Chaverim (3rd Shabbat) 9:30 am Minyan Olamim (4th Shabbat) 10:45 am Worship and Study Minyan (1st Shabbat) 9:45 am
Youth Shabbat Services Teen Service (1st Shabbat) 10:00 am Junior Congregation (5th grade +; Library) 10:00 am Shitufim 10:30-11:30 am (2nd– 4th grades; 2nd & 4th Shabbat; Zahler Social Hall)
Gan Shabbat (kindergarten-2nd grade; 1st & 3rd Shabbat; MP 1&2) 10:30-11:30 am Nitzanim (birth - kindergarten; 2nd, 4th, 5th Shabbat; MP 1&2) 10:30-11:30 am
For information, contact Elisha Frumkin, 301-652-8573, ext. 319, [email protected].
Weekly ParashiotSource: Siddur Sim Shalom
Va-yeishevDecember 5, 23 Kislev Joseph offends his brothers with his dreams of grandeur. They sell him into slavery and lead Jacob to believe that his favorite son is dead. In Egypt, Joseph finds favor with his master. Even when Joseph is thrown into prison, his abilities are recognized. He interprets the dreams of his fellow prisoners, the steward and chief baker of Pharaoh.
Mi-ketzDecember 12, 30 KislevWhen a dream troubles Pharaoh, his steward recalls Joseph’s gift for interpretation. Joseph is summoned and foresees seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Believing Joseph, Pharaoh places him in charge of Egypt’s preparation for the lean years. Jacob sends his sons to Egypt for grain, and Joseph chooses to conceal his identity from his brothers. Joseph orders that his goblet be hidden in Benjamin’s sack. When the goblet is found, Joseph detains his youngest brother.
Va-yiggashDecember 19, 7 Tevet With Benjamin caught in Joseph’s trap, Judah begs to take his brother’s place for Jacob’s sake. Greatly moved, Joseph at last reveals his identity to his brothers. They reconcile, whereupon Joseph has them bring Jacob and the entire family to dwell in Goshen for the duration of the famine. The aged patriarch is formally received at Pharaoh’s court.
Va-y’hiDecember 26, 2010 14 TevetJacob, nearing death, blesses Joseph and his sons, Me-nasheh and Ephraim; he then offers his final words to each of his 12 sons. Pharaoh gives Joseph permission to bury Jacob in Canaan. Later, as Joseph himself is dying, he instructs his kin to carry his remains back to Canaan some day, for surely, he says, God will remember them and return them to the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday1 2 1 2 3 4 Candles 4:28 pm 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 Candles 4:28 pm 12`
13 14 15 16 17 18 Candles 4:30 pm 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 Candles 4:33 pm 26
27 28 29 30 31 30 Candles 5:53 pm 31
C o n g r e g a t i o n B e t h E lMonthly Calendar
Erev Hanukkah9:00 am Minyan9:30 am Men’s Club Breakfast10:00 am Latke-Hamantasch Debate10:00 am Artisan Boutique7:00 pm Talmud Class
Hanukkah 1st Day9:30 am BEPS Open House12:30 pm Bridge7:15 pm Boy Scouts7:30 pm RS Committee Meeting
Hanukkah 2nd Day8:15 am A Taste of Talmud9:30 am Knitting Group6:30 pm Mah Jongg
Hanukkah 3rd Day9:30 am Rabbi Harris’s Torah Class9:30 am Rabbi Werbin’s ‘King David’
Class7:30 pm Rosh Chodesh: It’s a Woman
Thing8:00 pm Festival of Light: An Intimate
Evening with Matisyahu - Off-site
Hanukkah 4th Day9:30 am M. Fine Torah ClassNoon Senior Caucus Dor L’ Dor Lunch1:00 pm Bridge6:30 pm Tallit Workshop7:30 pm Executive Committee Meeting
Hanukkah 5th Day6:30 pm Friday Evening Service
Hanukkah 6th Day7:30 am Early Shabbat Service9:30 am Main Shabbat Service9:30 am Joshua Bachrach Bar Mitzvah9:30 am Zachary Friedman Bar
Mitzvah10:00 am Jr. Congregation10:30 am Zhava Shabbat Morning
Service Discussion10:30 am Nitzanim10:30 am Shitufim12:45 pm Shabbat Mincha Service
Hanukkah 7th DayRosh Hodesh Tevet9:00 am Minyan9:30 am Men’s Club Breakfast10:00 am Men’s Club Program10:30 am Alex Landy Bar Mitzvah5:00 pm Maccabeats in Concert7:00 pm Talmud Class
8:15 am A Taste of Talmud6:30 pm Mah Jongg7:00 pm Knitting Group7:00 pm “Shofar in December - Why
Not?”7:00 pm Red Stone Group7:30 pm BEPS Board Meeting
9:30 am Rabbi Harris’s Torah Class9:30 am Rabbi Werbin’s ‘King David’
Class
9:30 am M. Fine Torah ClassNoon Senior Caucus Luncheon6:30 pm Tallit Workshop7:30 pm Sisterhood Board Meeting
6:30 pm Kol Haneshama Friday Evening Service
7:30 am Early Shabbat Service9:30 am Main Shabbat Service9:30 am Avi Spector Bar Mitzvah9:30 am Minyan Chaverim10:00 am Jr. Congregation10:30 am Gan Shabbat12:45 pm Shabbat Mincha Service7:30 pm Israel Media Series
9:00 am Minyan9:30 am Men’s Club Breakfast9:30 am Sisterhood Social Action10:00 am Men’s Club Program10:00 am 2018 B’nai Mitzvah Family
Meeting
12:30 pm Bridge7:15 pm Boy Scouts
8:15 am A Taste of Talmud6:30 pm Mah Jongg
Religious School Closed9:30 am Rabbi Harris’s Torah Class9:30 am Rabbi Werbin’s ‘King David’
Class
Schools Closed9:30 am M. Fine Torah Class -
CANCELLED4:30 pm Chinese Dinner and Movies
Schools and Offices Closed9:00 am Morning Minyan6:30 pm Friday Evening Service
7:30 am Early Shabbat Service9:30 am Main Shabbat Service10:30 am Minyan Olamim10:30 am Nitzanim12:45 pm Shabbat Mincha Service
Offices and Schools Closed9:00 am Minyan9:30 am Men’s Club Breakfast10:00 am Men’s Club Program
Schools Closed12:30 pm Bridge
Schools Closed9:30 am Rabbi Harris’s Torah Class -
CANCELLED9:30 am Rabbi Werbin’s ‘King David’
Class - CANCELLED
Schools Closed9:30 am M. Fine Torah Class -
CANCELLED5:30 pm Evening Minyan
6:30 pm Friday Evening/RS Teacher Appreciation Service
7:30 pm RS Teacher Recognition Shabbat Dinner
7:30 am Early Shabbat Service9:30 am Main Shabbat Service9:30 am Hannah Bucher Bat Mitzvah9:30 am Matthew Rabinowitz Bar
Mitzvah9:45 am Worship & Study Minyan10:00 am Jr. Congregation10:00 am Teen Service10:30 am Gan Shabbat12:45 pm Shabbat Mincha Service
8:15 am A Taste of Talmud6:30 pm Mah Jongg
9:30 am M. Fine Torah ClassNoon Senior Caucus Brown Bag Lunch1:00 pm Bridge6:30 pm Tallit Workshop8:30 pm Hearing Men’s Voices
December 2015Kislev-Tevet 5776
Hanukkah 8th Day12:30 pm Bridge7:15 pm Boy Scouts
9:30 am Rabbi Harris’s Torah Class9:30 am Rabbi Werbin’s ‘King David’
Class1:00 pm Senior Caucus Meeting2:00 pm Roundtable with the Rabbi7:30 pm Zhava Cocktails and
Conversation - Offsite
Schools Closed8:15 am A Taste of Talmud6:30 pm Mah Jongg
